The Watchtower had been quiet for exactly seventeen minutes. Then the alarms screamed.

Red lights pulsed across every corridor. The Monitor Womb lit up like a wound—holographic Earth spinning wildly, red markers blooming across three continents: Metropolis, Central City, the Atlantic trench. A synthetic voice cut through the klaxons, calm and mechanical:

“Alert: Omega-level threat detected. Parademon incursion confirmed. Darkseid signature present. All hands to stations. Repeat: all hands to stations.” The main doors slammed open.

Superman was first—already airborne, cape snapping behind him as he shot toward the central platform. “Darkseid. Again. Coordinates?”

Cyborg slid into the command chair, fingers flying across holographic controls. Eyes glowing blue.

“Three breach points. Metropolis downtown, Keystone industrial district, and—wait—underwater off the Azores. He’s hitting everywhere at once.”

Batman appeared from the shadows like he’d been there the whole time.

“He’s testing our response time. We contain, we isolate, we end this fast. Flash—evacuate civilians in Central City. Superman, you’re with me on Metropolis. Wonder Woman, take the eastern seaboard.”

Wonder Woman was already strapping her bracers tighter.

“The gods bear witness. Let them see us unbroken.” Green Lantern’s ring flared green as he rose into the air. “I’m on aerial containment. Ring’s at full charge—nobody gets past me.”

Aquaman stepped forward, trident materializing in his hand with a wet crackle of energy.

“If he’s hitting the oceans, he’s hitting my domain. I’ll drown his army before they surface.” Flash blurred into existence beside them, vibrating with nervous energy. “Got it. Civvies first, bad guys second. I’ll be back before you finish saying ‘truth, justice, and—’”

The alarms spiked louder. A new alert flashed: secondary portal opening directly above the Watchtower. Cyborg swore under his breath.

“They’re coming here. Right now.”

Superman’s eyes glowed red for a split second. “Then we meet them head-on. Everyone—positions.”

The team moved like they’d drilled it a thousand times: Superman rocketing toward the main hangar, Batman already pulling up schematics, Wonder Woman drawing her sword, Flash disappearing in a streak of red lightning.

Then the lounge doors hissed open again. You stepped through—right into the middle of organized chaos. Every head snapped toward you.